Mobile machines such as haul trucks, motor graders, water trucks, and other large equipment are utilized at a common worksite to accomplish a variety of tasks. These machines can be large, difficult to operate, heavy, and slow to respond. Some machines can also have limited operator visibility. Accordingly, it is important to ensure that these machines are kept within particular lanes during travel so as to reduce the opportunity for collision and machine damage to occur.
One attempt to improve lane keeping of a mobile machine is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,939 that issued to Sorden on Aug. 22, 2000 (“the '939 patent”). Specifically, the '939 patent describes a lane change alarm system, which tracks a differential global position of a vehicle. When the vehicle is traveling in an incorrect direction within a particular lane and/or when a transverse distance within the lane deviates from a threshold distance, a multi-level alarm sounds within the vehicle. The level of the alarm increases as an error associated with the transverse distance and/or as a change rate of the error increases. The transverse distance is ignored and the alarm is prevented from sounding when a lane change signaler is used by an operator of the vehicle. A two-way radio or cellular telephone can be used to augment the alarm, by facilitating communication between a dispatcher and the operator of the vehicle during an alarm condition.
Although the system of the '939 patent may help keep a vehicle within a particular lane, it may still be problematic. In particular, the system may not be able to detect unacceptable operator behavior that can be indicative of an impending problem. In addition, the system may not be applicable to machines and/or worksites where individual lanes are segmented and only particular segments of the lanes are authorized for use by certain vehicles. The system may also not be applicable to larger machines, wherein distal points on the machine can deviate from a designated lane while a center of the machine remains well within the designated lane.
The disclosed lane keeping system is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above and/or other problems of the prior art.